What will you do in 2011 to make 2012 great?
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
Can you believe it? In the U.S., we are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and we only have forty days left in 2011. I am in the process of building my goals for 2012 while reflecting on what I did in 2011. Specifically, I am looking at my activity when it comes business development and social media and making sure that I am doing what I set out to do.
The process that I use for clients is the same one that I use for myself. I keep it simple and flexible. If something is not attainable then it might not be the best goal to set. However, goals should be designed to push you harder and further toward success.
Here are my seven 2011 goals:
- Post content on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ that is relevant to my audience.
- Spend an hour a day reading up on industry information.
- Contacting five people a week just to say hello.
- Blogging two-three times a week.
- Identifying at least three new opportunities a week and pursuing.
- Schedule at least one face-to-face meeting per week or a Skype “date.”
- Updating and reviewing my to-do list once a week.
It is not always easy to meet these goals, especially with travel. However, time spent at events replaces #6 on my list and often #5. The key is being as focused as possible when I share content. For example, I spend a few minutes each day searching articles related to event marketing, social media, associations and professional services. I may throw in a recipe or two since I enjoy food and it makes for great conversation. Everything that I say or post online is intentional and designed with a purpose. Let me be clear here, while I am intentional, I am authentic. That is key, being strategic about social networking while keeping it real.
Keeping up with social networking and business development is not easy. When you have a small business, you are focused on both client work (the stuff that pays the bills) and prospecting (the stuff that will pay the bills). Keeping a full pipeline is important so setting achievable goals helps to make the process smoother.
Did you set goals this year? Did you achieve them? What will you do next year to make your business better, your events more successful and your clients coming back for more?